Brush cleaning rake



Aug. 5, 1941.

H. HERTZBERG BRUSH CLEANING RAKE Filed Oct. 15, 1938 INVENTOR. H rzyfferlzbery Patented Aug. 5, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRUSH CLEANING RAKE Harry Hertzberg, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Robert L. Lake, New York, N. Y.

3 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning implements and particularly to devices having a plurality of wires arranged in fan-like formation for cleaning hair brushes and similar brushes and fur or the like.

Applicant is aware that similar devices have been constructed before but such devices have proven unsatisfactory as the wires soon became loose and disarranged. Furthermore the wires soon became bent and disconnected from the handle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a cleaning device in which the wires will remain in their prearranged order and in a common plane.

Another object is to securely fasten the Wires to the handle.

Still another object is to so mount the wires that they will be flexible yet sufficiently rigid to effectively clean the article desired.

Yet another object is to provide a secure connection between the handle and wires.

A further object is to provide such a device that is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a perspective view of my improved cleaning device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof parts being shown in section to show the connection between the handle and wires.

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 2, with parts shown in section for the sake of clearness, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the plane of the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, the handle I is formed of wood, moldable plastic or any other suitable material. This handle is formed at one end with a tubular portion or socket II, the outer face portion of said socket being formed with a circular groove 12.

Fitted into the socket II is a rake device indicated generally at l3. This rake comprises a plurality of fine flexible wires I4. These wires are preferably formed of hard, springy, stainless, chrome-nickel alloy steel, or other bright drawn spring steel wire chromium, cadmium or nickel plate. The wires at one end are gathered together in cylindrical formation as indicated at I5 and joined to each other by solder [6. The solder penetrates through the spaces between the wires and forms a solid cylindrical portion at this point.

The remaining portions of the wires are spread out in fan-like formation as indicated at I! and arranged in a common fiat plane as indicated at I8. The Wires are arranged and held in this shape by a ferrule member l9 which consists preferably of a piece of metal tubing 20, which fits over the cylindrical bunch of wires. The rear edge of the ferrule is embedded in the groove 12. The ferrule with the bunch of wire therein is then compressed and the front end of the ferrule made flat whereby the wires are automatically spread out fan shape and impressed into the inside surfaces of the now flat portions of the ferrule so that grooves are formed for the individual wires half in the bottom and half in the top portion, and the wires are held in their positions permanently and immovably, while they are prevented from turning relatively to each other by the soldered shank portion. This ferrule consists preferably of a short piece of seamless tubing which is slipped over the cylindrical bunch of wires and its forward portion compressed flat under high pressure so that its metal is pressed into the spaces between the wires which are simultaneously fanned out and lodged in individual grooves and cannot be displaced. The outer end of the ferrule is provided with a flattened portion 2| with considerable bearing surface which holds the wires spread and fiat. The outer free ends 22 of the wires are bent at an acute angle to the remainder of the wires and form an arcuate shaped end for the rake,

The ferrule member I9 is preferably made of a somewhat softer metal than the steel wires, such as bronze or the like, so that when the opposite sides of the flattened portion 2| are pressed together against the steel wires said Wires will cut a slight groove or grooves in the inner surfaces of said portion 2| and thus permanently hold the wires in fixed position.

By reason of the foregoing construction, the portions of the wires in the socket of the handle cannot shift nor rotate against each other and the outer free working ends of the Wires cannot get out of alinement. Because of the great resiliency of the material of which the wires are made, the wires may be bent to a considerable degree without becoming deformed.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the principle of the invention and I desire to be limited only by the state of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a handle having an elongated socket portion and a rake device comprising a plurality of resilient straight steel Wires arranged parallel and soldered to each other from one end to its middle portion to form a solid elongated bunch of cylindrical shape, the free portions of said wires being spread apart within a ferrule to fan-like formation, each Wire being held in a pair of complementary grooves, the soldered portion of said bunch being fitted in said socket portion.

2. In a device of the kind described, a handle having a tubular portion extending inwardly from one end thereof, a plurality of relatively thin wires of highly resilient steel forming a uniform, solid and cylindrically shaped mass within said tubular portion and a ferrule connected to the handle forming means for spreading said wires in fan-like shape in a single common plane outside of the handle, said ferrule being formed with flattened parallel portions in both interior faces of which said wires are partly embedded to form said fan-like shape portion of the wires.

3. In a device of the kind described, a handle having a tubular portion, a ferrule connected to said handle at the outer end of the tubular pertion, a plurality of highly resilient stainless steel wires forming a solid cylindrical mass held within said tubular portion, the ends of the wires forming said cylindrical mass being integrally connected to each other by soldering, the remaining free portions of the wires being impressed in fan-like formation into said ferrule and held in such fan-like formation in grooves formed. in a portion of said ferrule.

HARRY HERTZBERG. 

